The first weekend of the 2021 NFL playoffs were a success as “Wild Card Weekend” wrapped up on Monday night with a Los Angeles Rams win over the Arizona Cardinals. The game was broadcast on ESPN and ABC, but an alternative form to watch the contest was available in the “ManningCast”, which featured former NFL quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Eli Manning breaking down the game as they were joined by guests throughout the night.
One of the high-profile guests to come on the broadcast was former football player and wrestling star Dwayne Johnson. While talking about some of Johnson’s wrestling moves, the older Manning brother told a story about how former Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis would drive him into the ground and have a parting message for him as he got up, to which Johnson followed with a story about Lewis of his own during their time together at the University of Miami.
Peyton Manning: “Every time Ray Lewis hit me, he’d drive me down into the ground and then he’d use me to help himself get up and he’d whisper in my ear, ‘I’ll be back in a couple minutes, you punk.’” pic.twitter.com/QwIkrMX43l
— Sarah Ellison (@sgellison) January 18, 2022
Lewis left a lasting impression on the game of football, and it’s shown in many different ways, including in the stories that both Manning and Johnson told. He was an extremely hard worker that expected greatness out of himself and those around him, and it was great to hear multiple different angles of memories that people hold of the Hall of Fame linebacker.